Put on a proper suit, do up your tie

David Cameron found himself pulled into a childish game of who had the last laugh in parliament on Wednesday while debating the reforms to the NHS. A heckle from a Labour MP prompted the PM to say

“I know what my mother would say. I think she’d look across the dispatch box and she’d say: ‘Put on a proper suit, do up your tie”

But does wearing a suit and tie make you better at your job?

If we are dressing ‘for the job you want’ Cameron would probably argue that Corbyn is striving to be a Geography Teacher.

Joking aside, does the idea of having a strict work dress code , and only being seen as professional if you are wearing a suit still apply in 2016?

The Telegraph published an article last year entitled ‘why men who wear suites are more successful’, based on a study by the California State University, which analysed the psychological effect dressing sharply has on people.

The outcome of the study showed that those who dressed ‘formally’ to complete a set of tests were more able to see the bigger picture, rather than focusing on the smaller details, and were more able to make good financial decisions and avoid impulse purchases.

So I should be wearing a suit when I’m online shopping at 1am?!?

The idea of a suit and tie being a ‘professional uniform’ may be seen as something from the 80’s and 90’s, with movies such as Working Girl and The Secrets of My Success, emphasising the impact power dressing can have. However in 2015 we heard how Lewis Hamilton, world championship British racing driver, was turned away from the Royal Box at Wimbledon because he was not wearing a jacket and tie. Lewis chose not to accept the offer to borrow the relevant clothing, and watched the proceedings from an altogether less exclusive seat, albeit his stylish outfit remained intact.

Can the way you dress impact on other people’s perception of your success?